Joint between metal members



E. CLERK JOINT BETWEEN METAL MEMBERS 'March 24, 1953 Filed Ocb. 13, 1948Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,632,535 JOINTBETWEEN METAL MEMBERS Edouard Clerk, St. Hilaire, Quebec, CanadaApplication October 13, 1948, Serial No. 54,312

This invention relates to the art of joining metal members and theobject is to provide a method and means whereby such members may besecurely and expeditiously joined together without resorting to weldingor brazing or to the use of extraneous fastening means such as rivets,bolts or the like.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two metalmembers arranged at right angles to each other and joined together inaccordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the manner in whichthe metal members are slidably assembled with a connecting member bymeans of which the metal members are joined together.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3 3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along theline 4-4 of Figure l.

VIn these drawings the metal members to be joined together arerespectively indicated at 5 and 6. Each member is shown as comprising anangle member of L-shaped cross section presenting flanges 'I' and 8disposed at right angles to each other.

The inner faces of the flanges 'I and 8 are shaped to conjointly providean L-shaped groove 9 having undercut side walls l0. The members 1 and 8are provided with mitred ends II which are butted together as shown inFigure 1 so that the groove 9 of one member constitutes a right angularcontinuation of the groove 9 of the companion member. The members 5 andB are secured together in the right angular relation shown in Figure 1by means of an angular connectingmember I3 which is slidably fitted ingrooves 9, as shown in Figure 2, during the but- Ating together of themitred ends II of members 5 and 6. The connecting member I3 is made inone piece and comprises two leg members I4 and I5 extending at rightangles to each other. Each of the leg members I4 and I5 is formed by apair of right angularly related flanges I6 and Il. The flanges I6 and I1of leg member I4 are slidably tted in the groove 9 of metal member 5while the flanges I 6 and I1 of the leg I5 are slidably fitted in thegroove 9 of metal member 6. 'I'he flanges I6 and Il of each leg ofconnecting member I3 are bevelled to fit beneath and in contact with theundercut side walls I of the groove 9.

After the metal members 5 and 6 have been 2 assembled'with theconnecting member I3, as shown in Figure 1, theV three members aresecured together by distorting the marginal edges of the anges IIi andI1 of the connecting member I3 and the engaging portions of the undercutside walls IU of the grooves 9. In this connection it will be noted thatat various points along the length of the outer side edges of theflanges I 6 and I'l of connecting member I3 the metal of these flangesis distorted as'indicated at 'I9 into binding engagement with similarlydistorted opposing portions 29 of the engaging undercut side walls ID ofthe grooves 9. This distortion is accomplished by means of a punch 22having a concave lower end 23 which is forced against the outer edges ofthe flanges I6 and Il of connecting member I3 and against the engagingside walls I Il of groove 9 at various points along the length of theconnecting member to force portions I9 of the connecting member angesinto binding contact with portions 2li of the groove walls I0 to therebysecure the members 5, 6 and I3 against relative sliding movement.

It will be understood that this invention may be employed for joiningtogether metal members 5 and 6 of various shapes and that the shape ofthese members and the shape of the connecting member I3, as shown in thepresent drawings, is merely illustrative of one embodiment of theinvention. In this connection, it will also be understood that themembers' and 6, instead of being L-shaped in cross section, may consistsimply of flat Vbars or strips having corresponding faces shaped toprovide a groove corresponding to the groove 9 and having under out sidewalls. In this case, the connecting member I3 will consist of a flatstrip of metal having its side edges lying in the Same plane andbevelled to t beneath the undercut side walls of the grooves provided inthe members to be connected. It will also be understood that theinvention may be Vemployed for joining together members 5 and E which,while arranged at right angles to each other, are not L-shaped in crosssection as shown in the present drawings but have their side edges lyingabove and below each other in a common vertical plane. In thisconnection, connecting member I3 will consist of a single iiat strip ofa width equal to the width of the groove with the side edges of thestrip lying one upon the other in a common grooves of the rightangularly related members to be connected thereby.

What I claim is:

A metal joint construction comprising a pair of metal memberssubstantially L-shaped in cross section presenting ianges disposed atright angles to each other, the inner faces of the flanges beingrecessed longitudinally to provide a longitudinal groove L-shaped incross section and having `undercut side Walls, said members beingpositioned at right angles to each other and butted together in endtoend relation and a connecting member slidably fitted in the grooves ofsaid metal members in contact with the side walls of said grooves, saidconnecting member being of a thickness equal to the .depth foi thegrooves and presenting two leg members extending at right angles to eachother, each of said leg members being formed by a pair of rightangularly related flanges tted in the groove of -one of said metalmembers, marginal portions REFERENCES CITED The 4following Yreferencesare of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 299,381 Grove May 27, 18841,996,109 Hiering Apr, 2, 1935 2,095,885 Moreria et al. Oct. 12, 19372,114,617 Verhagen Apr. 19, 1938 2,188,209 Sharp Jan. 23, 1940 2,451,976Edwards, Jr Oct. 12, 1948 2,504,700 Krantz Apr. 18, 1950

